Monday, September 20, 2010

It's 12:21. About 30 minutes ago, I woke up to an echoing announcers voice coming in from outside. It sounded like some kind of emergency. I couldn't make out what was being said, but it was definitely coming from outside, and echoing off of the hills. Puzzled, I started to become more alert... what the hell is it saying?

Still a little sleep addled, I heard the words 'ground zero'. I sat up and became more awake... what did I just hear? Why is somebody outside announcing... ground zero, over a speaker or something? Is this some kind of public announcement? The voice went on in, what seemed to me, to be frantic tones. A jumped off of the couch and ran to the window. I leaned my head out...

...and it was coming from about two floors up, to the right. Just a radio. Somebody had talk radio on, blaring out the window, echoing off of the mountains, for all of Ketchikan to enjoy. I digested this information for about 5 minutes, and started to get just a TEENY bit peeved, so I leaned out of my own window and yelled, at the top of my voice, when the radio paused, "CAN YOU PLEASE TURN THAT DOWN?"

After about 15 seconds, no change. I tried again. "HEY, YOU WITH THE WINDOW OPEN AND THE RADIO ON, COULD YOU PLEASE TURN THAT DOWN?" Again, no reply. I looked around for something to throw up there, to get their attention. I found a couple of pennies and threw them, but didn't even get close.

YEESH. This called for action, I guess, so I threw on my pants and went on up to the 10th floor. It was either the 10th floor window or the 11th, so I'd try the 10th first. Makes sense, no? So, I listen to the next two doors down from mine, that is... in a relative manner, judging from my floor up to theirs, and heard nothing. I went on up to the 11th floor and did the same. From the first door, I heard music. I was just about to knock, but it wasn't music I'd been hearing, it had been talk. I went to the other door and listened... THERE IT WAS. TALK. Loud talk coming through that door. I knocked. And knocked. And knocked. And knocked.

I was just about to give up and leave, when I suddenly just got furious. Are they ignoring me, or just asleep? Do I have to listen to this all night? I'd already tried shutting my own window; it didn't work. So, I KNOCKED!!!

I heard a stumbling around inside! I stood there, careful to look up at the peep hole so they'd see me. A long time went by, so I thought I'd try actually talking.

"Hello in there!" and I waited for about 15 seconds. I heard somebody mess with the doorknob, and thought it was about to open, but it didn't. So, I said it again:

"Hello in there! Could you please turn your radio down? Either that, or shut your window? It's blaring out over the countryside like a megaphone, and we can hear it two floors down!"

I waited for a while and got no response. Then the radio turned down... and then it went back up, even louder! ARRRRGHH...

"Will you please open the door so I can talk to you?"

I waited some more, about another 30 seconds, with no change in the radio and nobody opening the door. I was at the point of just... disbelief now, or denial or something.

"You aren't even going to open the door so you can hear me? Just turn your radio down, please?"

Then I hear the radio go down abruptly, and a voice from within... "Saheee." I assume this means "Sorry." I at first thought that maybe this lack of communication was due to a language barrier, but the radio had been blaring in the Queens English. I think it was more due to a lack of wanting to open the door, probably because of some long haired freaky looking mustachioed man standing outside at midnight and banging on it like a lunatic.

Anyway, the radio is down now. Hopefully it will stay that way... but I'm up... :p ﻿

Distraction from Imminent Despair

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Zounds cried the astounded clown in a gown who was bound for down town as he frowned at the resounding sound of the renowned crown that he'd found as it wound up on a round mound surrounded by abounding brown ground near his half drowned hound from around the pound. Meh.